Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine

BLACKWOOD’S Eviufiurgh M A G A Z I N E. VOL. CXX. JULY—DECEMBER 1876. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, EDINBURGH; AND 37 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. 1876. A ll Rz'qlzls qf T ram/alien mm’ Repuéh'mtz'on reserved 1876.] A Rim through Kathiawar—Jtimlghar. 191 A RUN THROUGH KATHIAWAR—JIINXGHAR. BOMBAY, I admit, is a. delightful the Indian element has got the up place of residence if you can take it per hand there, nothing is regarded on the conditions enjoyed by its with more dislike and distrust than governors, commanders-in-chief, and any expression of dissatisfaction members of council. Granted that with the climate of that great city. you are at liberty to spend the hot Admit at once that it is simply per season, from the middle of March fection, and that your sole duty in till the commencement of June, in life is to devote all your capacity the forest shade of the cool table and all your means to the benefit land of Mahabaleshwar at a height of of its population, and then you will 4500 feet; that you can pass the soon become a popular character, time from the commencement of even though you may labour under June to the end of September at the serious disadvantage of never Poona or Nasik, on the elevated having been twice born or circum plains of the Deccan, where the cised, or bowed as a worshipper of great rains of the south-west mon the sacred fire. soon (which at that season make It need not be denied, however, Bombay like the bottom of an old that the climate of Bombay, though well) do little more than screen off debilitating, and favourable only the sun and moisten the arid air; to sub-forms of human life, is a that in the unhealthy season of pretty safe climate, and that Bom October and the commencement of bay has the advantage over the November you can place yourself other Presidency towns in the easy high above the decaying vegetation access which it affords to immediate of the plain, at such isolated hill changes of climate at all seasons of forts and sanitaria as Singhur and the year. It is supposed to have Poorundhur ; and that, in the cold a very delightful climate in what, season, you can take a two months’ by courtesy, is called its cold sea tour in Kathiawar, Sind, or Rajpii son 5 and, no doubt, visitors at that tana, in order to get a little real season, contrasting its sunny air cold weather and brace yourself up and brilliant skies with the cold after your fatiguing residence in and fog and darkness of an Eng Bombay,——then, I frankly admit, a lish winter, have good reason to residence in the capital of \Vestern be delighted with the change: but India is not only endurable, but has those who have had some years’ great advantages of its own. Ad experience of tropical climes will mirable as this arrangement is, it perceive that a winter on the coast does not appear to leave much time of Western India may do them to be spent in Bombay; but then a much harm, while it is not likely very little time spent there goes a. to do good. The weather is not long way, and also goes far to im cold enough to brace, or to allow part a pleasing consciousness that of warm clothes being worn with you have been an unrewarded and any degree of comfort; but the dry, unacknowledged benefactor of your desiccating wind of the north-east fellow-creatures. It may be well, monsoon so rapidly cools the body however, not to impart any whisper as to be a real source of danger. of this conviction to your fellow \Vhen protected from that wind we citizens of Bombay; for now that are in a tropical climate ; when ex 192 A Run through Kathiawar—Jzimighar. [Aug. posed to it we are cooled almost ishes in that part of the world. as rapidly as were the bottles of Thus I had the opportunity of see beer and sherry which, wrapped in ing much of the interior working of wet cloth, used to be exposed to Indian native states; of mingling its influence before ice was imported with their princes and ministers; into India. of combining an examination of an Hence it follows that for those who tiquities with a round of gaieties; have to reside in Bombay it is quite of passing from the society of dan as important to get out of that place cing-girls to that of the statues of in the cold season as in any other ; the twenty-four Tirthenkaras or and fortunately, in the provinces holy saints of the Jain religion ; of lying to the north, but in not dis exchanging the presence of princes tant neighbourhood, really bracing for that of ashy devotees; and, above weather is to be found at that sea all, of obtaining admission to the son, besides many objects of interest, Amijhara or Perspiring Statue of and an entire change in one’s habits the holy mountain Girnar, and of of life. Of these provinces the lit sleeping at the foot of Kalika, the tle-known peninsula of Kathiawar Dread Mother, among the Aghoras, is the most interesting ; and I had or carrion-eating devotees, by which for long had my eye on it, as a sort it is infested. of Indian bonne bouche, before a. Kathiawar can be reached from favourable opportunity occurred of the Presidency town by the rail taking a run through it. Some way which runs through the North little time has elapsed since that ern Koncan and Guzerat to Ahme visit was made; but, happily for dabad, and by the extensive line itself, the Kathiawar peninsula has from that place to Virumgaum ; not yet been overwhelmed by the but as easy and rapid a way is intolerable rushing tide of modern by the well-appointed steamboats events; and, beyond a steady im of the British India Steam Navi provement in the action both of gation Company, which run from the'English officials and the Kathi Bombay to Karachi in Sind, touch chiefs, to which I shall allude, there ing at Vairawal, the chief port has been little or no change in it of Junéghar, and at various other ' since my visit. There I had the places, by the way. That prelimi privilege of seeing a large province nary part of the journey was very entirely, or almost entirely, under easy. It was only after being turn the rule of native princes, with its ed out of the railway at Virum population in a feudal state, and gaum, or landed at Vairawal, that little affected by the progress of the incautious traveller who had English ideas and rule. Many war not made sufficient preparations for like tribes were met with which, it the journey found himself in a difii is true, were no longer permitted to culty. Kathiawar, I need scarcely indulge in war, yet retained all the say,was not, and is not to-day, a land traditions and feelings of a not dis of hotels, or drawing-room cars, or tant period when they constantly public conveyances of almost any did so. And this province pre kind. It was not a land where pri— sented also antiquarian remains of vate conveyances, or even the means the highest interest and importance, of subsistence, could be had in many together with great series of elabo parts except as a matter of favour. rate temples sacred to the religion Between Virumgaum and the Eng of the J ains, a corrupt form of Blldh lish station of Rajkot, where the ism which still survives and flour political resident has his head 1876.] A Run through Kathiawar—Jiimighar. 193 quarters, something like public those who are most independent traflic now goes on; but in most of it. parts of the country the traveller It is pleasant in the cool month may have the greatest diificulty in of January to find one’s self run getting a worn-out camel or donkey ning up the coast of Western India to ride on, and one egg to appease in a comfortable steamer, with an his hunger with, unless he is entirely new district of country in welcomed, and almost as a guest, prospect. Three weeks, in old times, by the chief of the district. In would have been a very fair run at Kathiawar there still lingers the this season in a pattimar from Bom idea that all visitors should be bay to Surat, on the mainland en guests; and though this, of course, trance of the Gulf of Cambay; but does not imply that travelling there now in less than twenty-four hours is really very much cheaper than we find ourselves anchored on the anywhere else, yet those who at other side of the gulf, beside the tempt to proceed on any other foot little Portuguese island of Din, ing will find great, though almost close to the great Kathiawar penin intangible, difficulties rising in their sula. There is something attractive path—for nothing that they require to some minds in these decaying will be forthcoming when they want remnants of the Portuguese colonial it, or perhaps at all, if they get empire—such as Diu and Goa on irritated. the Indian coast, and Macao on Personally, I had no experiences that of China. They are dear to of difficulties of this kind, having the same tone of mind which made been invited to visit the country Byron find a congenial home in by one of its greatest princes, and Pisa, Venice, and Ravenna.

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